Zutara Week '09
by xaSomethingWish
Summary: Finished. All of my submissions for Zutara Week! A little Forks, a little teasing, a little drinking, a lot of loving, and all Zutarian!
1. Crossover

**Day 1 : Crossover**

The forest was dark. I could hear the birds chirping in the distance, and the shaking of leaves closer to us.

Then the sun broke through the clouds, and I stopped breathing.

He stood before me, his shirt abandoned on the ground. "This is why I stay hidden," he said, his voice tense.

His chest was glittering like a thousand diamond. It was so lovely it almost hurt to look any longer. I finally tore my eyes away from him. In an instant he stood in front of me. He reached out to cup my cheek, his hands were so cold it made me flinch.

"Katara..." he breathed, his face coming closer and closer. I could almost feel his lips pressing against my neck.

"Aang," I gasped trying to pull away. He released me, and I stumbled back. "I know what you are," I managed to say through quick breaths.

His eyes turned harsh. "Say it, then." He took a step closer, and I flinched. "Say it out loud."

I was panting, my heart beating so hard I could feel it in my neck. "Vampire," I breathed.

He reached out to me. "Are you scared?" he asked.

I started to reach for him, but something made me pull my hand back. "I... I..." A ferocious snarl ripped through the woods. I watched, frozen, as a huge flame-colored wolf lept into the clearing. His jaws were open, all of his teeth gleaming and ready to tear his prey to bits.

Aang hissed, jumping in front of me so fast that I never saw the movement. "Back off, Zuko," he growled. He looked, to me, like a lithe lion, ready to pounce.

Wait. Zuko? The nephew of Gran-Gran's friend Iroh? He was a... a... "A werewolf?" I gasped. Aang nodded tersely, and the wolf turned to me with almost apologetic golden eyes. Yes, this was definitely Zuko. I would know his eyes anywhere.

Then it hit me. Something Aang had told me long ago.

_The only enemy of the vampires are werewolves._

And then, that fateful day on the beach when I had first talked to Zuko.

_They think he's one of the 'pale ones.' You know, a vampire. The reason werewolves exist is to protect humans from them._

Two mortal enemies.

Two men that I loved.

Two fighters facing off across the battleground.

Zuko snarled, his tale lashing. Aang growled back, equally as fierce. "I don't care what you think, _dog_! She's mine!" Zuko's hind legs tense, ready to jump. With a slight touch, Aang sent me flying back against a tree. "Stay down!" he ordered as Zuko flew at him.

I watched in horror as they collided, the sound echoing like boulders crashing down a mountain.

Aang's fangs dug into Zuko's shoulder as the wolf latched onto his upper arm. They jumped away, their blood splattering the leaves of the bushes. Their snarls of frustration made the ground under my feet vibrate. I stood shakily, my back pressed against the tall tree behind me. How did this happen? How could my two best friends be fighting?

Was this... was this all my fault?

Zuko's tail was now a foot away from sweeping off my face. He barked something to Aang, which made his face become even fiercer. "Who cares about your stupid imprinting crap?! She loves me! She always will!" With a rippling snarl, he attacked.

Zuko stood his ground, allowing Aang to attack him head-on. He yelped, his paws sliding back, his tail so close it tickled my nose. I could see the blood streaming from the bite wound Aang had dealt to his shoulder. Aang face was so twisted with hate and rage that I hardly recognized him. Zuko's head tilted back to meet me eyes. I saw the terror on my face reflected in that glittering gold.

"Please," I heard myself whisper. "Please, no."

Aang released Zuko's shoulder only to grab his neck, throwing the wolf into a tree across the glade. He yelped as he collapsed on the ground. His eyes opened. He looked at me, pleading. Aang towered over him.

"I'm actually doing you a favor," he said coldly. "Since wolves cannot live without those they have Imprinted, you will never have to feel that pain." He opened his mouth, a loud snarl ripping through his throat as he prepared the final blow.

I never told me feet to move.

I never told my legs to race across the clearing.

I never told my body to shield Zuko from the death blow.

But I do remember telling my mouth to open, forcing my voice to work, curving my lips to cry out to Aang.

"NOOO!!!"

Aang stopped.

I was sprawled across Zuko, my back to Aang, my hands full of his flaming fur. Tears streaked my cheeks as I looked at my friend. "Please," I begged again. "Please don't." I choked back my sobs. "I can't live without both of you. But I know I could never live without him. Just as he needs me to survive."

His grey eyes were wide with shock and terror. He stumbled back, away from us. "I... but... Katara..." He reached for me again. I stayed where I was, but I felt Zuko's weak growl. He caressed my cheek, and I did not flinch from his frozen touch.

Finally, he turned away, and disappeared forever.

The wolf beneath me trembled, and I jumped back as he transformed. Panting and still bleeding, Zuko lay sprawled, naked, on the forest floor. I fell by his side, entwining my finger with his. "Katara," he rasped, flipping over onto his back. "Why... why did you..."

I gulped. "I couldn't let you die." It was the truth. But it was also something that Aang had said, during the fight. "Zuko," I whispered. "What's imprinting."

He squeezed my head, his eyes closed and his breathing ragged. "It's how wolves find our mates," he murmured. "It feels as if... as if..." He looked up at me, his eyes shining. "As if my whole world revolves around you. You are the center of my universe."

Sobs raked my throat. "How... how long have you know?"

"Since that first night, back at your grandmother's house. Remember? The first time our eyes met."

I smiled, my sobs mixing with my laughter. "Oh, my poor, brave Zuko..." I breathed, leaning in to touch my cheek to his.

"Katara." His breath in my ear sent a shiver up my spine. His hand came up to touch my cheek. "You're so cold," he whispered. "And you're trembling."

I pulled back, sniffling. "I'm just afraid the big bad wolf's going to go swallow Gran-Gran," I teased weakly. He laughed, a throaty rumble that infected me as well. We sat, laughing and weeping, until the rain started again.

He sighed, his eyes searching mine. "I love you," he said, his voice tender.

I wrapped my arms around his warm neck. "And I love you," I said, just before our lips touched.

The rain fell even harder, and thunder boomed while we remained locked in a kiss that could have moved the mountains and stopped the rain and summoned the lightning.


	2. Blood

**Day 2 : Blood**

"Cannonball!"

A slight, tattooed boy lept into the cool water at the bottom of a 60-foot waterfall, followed close behind by an older, scarred teen.

He had been practicing fire bending with the banished Fire Prince all morning, and Zuko had finally agreed to let him come down to the pool to cool off before his other lessons.

"Hey Zuko!" Aang called. The fire prince turned, taking a water ball to the face as punishment. "HAHAHA!" The Avatar bent a wave to pull him away, then made a thin, rocky island in the middle of the lake.

"No fair!" the dripping teen called. "How am I supposed to beat the Avatar?"

"Oh, please Zuko," a girl called from the shore. "It was one little water ball." Zuko turned. "_I_ would have thrown a boulder."

Toph stood at the edge of the water, flanked by Katara. Zuko's heart flipped at the sight of the master water bender, and he was extremely aware of the fact that he had no shirt on.

Toph looked towards him, then at Katara, and back to him. "Twinkletoes!" she barked. "Break's over! Time for some earth bending!"

"Awww!" Aang was floating on his back, Momo flying in circles around his head. "Can't I practice water bending first?"

A huge rock jutted out from the water right beneath Aang, sending him flying over the top of the waterfall.

"Nice shot," Katara laughed, giving Toph a high five.

"You're getting soft," Toph huffed at Zuko before she created a huge wave of earth, carrying her up after the unwilling student.

Katara and Zuko stood for a few awkward moments, looking at everything but each other. "So," Zuko finally said, "nice... weather?"

Katara blinked at him before doubling over with laughter. Zuko joined her a second late. "I think," she gasped, wiping tears from her eyes, "that we're a bit past the 'nice weather' stage, Zuko."

He grinned. "Yeah, I guess so."

They watched each other. "I overheard what you were telling Aang earlier," she said softly. "About emotions driving your fire bending." He nodded, unsure of what she was going to say next.

Instead of talking, she walked. She stopped a few feet in front of him, standing on the water. "What emotion fuels your fire bending?" she murmured, so soft he almost didn't hear her over the waterfall.

His cheeks were growing warm. "I'm sorry," he shouted. "I couldn't hear over the noise!"

She rolled her eyes. "Of course you heard-"

"Did you say you wanted to see my fire bending?" He was avoiding her question and they both knew it.

Katara planted her hands on her hips. "Zuko, come on-"

"Okay, if you insist!" he shouted. Before she could argue with him again, he sent a large ball of fire at her chest.

She watched it, her expression tolerant, and ducked under the waves at the last second. A wave rose behind her, dissolving the burning missile into a hiss of steam.

The water where she had disappeared started churning. Zuko jumped back just before a huge fountain erupted inches from where his face had been. The water swirled and danced around a blue, soaked figure rising from the depths. "If you insist," Katara huffed. She turned her back to him and peeled off her soaked tunic.

"Wh-wh- what are you doing?!" he stammered, his face burning.

Katara's tan, dripping skin glowed against the white of her under wrappings. She twirled back to face him, her usual tight braid undone, allowing her cascade of chocolate-brown hair to flow over her shoulders and frame her face. Her grin was teasing. "Well, you did start this," she said, the water that had been dancing around her falling back down into the lake. Her hands stretched before her in the typical water bender attack stance. "I'm just going to finish it."

He felt the water shifted, moving to obey her commands... when she suddenly paused. Her head tilted to one side as she pointed to his face. "Uh, Zuko? you have some... blood..." She pointed to her own nose.

He spun around, his whole body burning up now. What the- he _never_ got nosebleeds! Katara giggled behind him, and he pictured her wet, nearly-naked form...

The flow of blood from his nose increased dramatically. "Crap," he muttered, washing it off his face the best he could. He would not let this water wench have the best of him just before the fight. He turned to face her.

"Are you sure you're all right?" The concern in her voice was sincere. "It'll only take me a few-"

Two fiery blasts flew at her face. They froze almost immediately.

"I'm sorry, Sparky. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

That teasing tone was back. "Maybe I should call Aang back," he challenged. "That way he can comfort you when you lose!"

Her face darkened. _Maybe I took that too far_, he thought as the water around him started shifting again. Zuko flew out of the water as liquid tentacles shot out of the lake, grabbing at empty air. Using a trick he had learned from watching Azula, he propelled himself higher, trying to get of the range of Katara's water. Suddenly, his feet felt ice cold. "Nice try, Zuzu," she called, making Zuko's heart do a happy flip. "But you just can't run from water."

Zuko dropped like a rock. He tried to yell, but the wind whipped his voice away. He curled into a ball, preparing to hit the lake like it was solid earth. Instead, the water rose to meet him, wrapping around him gently and tugging him down to the bottom. He struggled to reach the surface when a giant dome surrounded him. He hit the ground hard, still stunned that the water was suddenly gone from around him.

"I thought you might not want other people to overhear us," Katara said gently. He turned, and she was right behind him. He forgot how to think.

"Uhh... overhear what?" he said stupidly.

She smiled tenderly. "I asked you earlier what feeling you used to fuel your fire bending now that you've let go of most of your anger."

His breathing was becoming shallower. The light shining through the water danced on her exotic skin, enhancing her beauty in a way the sun on its own never could. "Did you really have to ask?" he breathed, his voice low, his face drawing closer to hers. He could see, now, that her eyes were glittering with suppressed emotions, her breath just as ragged as his.

"Yes," she gasped, her eyes glued to his. He leaned even closer, so close her breath mingled with his. Pressing his cheek to hers, he whispered in her ear.

"Love."

She gasped, wrapping her arms around his sweaty neck and pulling herself closer to him. "I knew it," she said, her voice elated.

He chuckled, his arms encircling her waist. He lifted her off the ground and swung, her laughter making his own heart sing. "But there's something else I need to ask." He stopped spinning, but never lessened his hold on her waist. "Zuko." she pushed against his chest, and his hands slipped around her upper thighs so she could see his face. "Was that nosebleed because of me?"

The fire bender growled, falling to the floor to pin the water bender under him. Laughing, she stroked his scar. He ran his hand through her long tangles of hair. Her hand slid down to the back of his neck, where her grip tightened. She pulled herself up, he leaned closer, and their lips collided.

* * *

The earth benders above the waterfall paused as the lake down below erupted in the crackle of lightning and the roar of the waves.

"Wow, what do you think that was?" Aang said to his teacher.

The blind earth bender's cheeks were tinged pink. "Oh, that's just Sparky and Sugar Queen going at it," she said, her voice squeaking a little.

"Oh," the Avatar said. Suddenly, he perked up. "Could we go watch?" He started running to the edge.

Toph grabbed his arm. "I don't think so." She was fighting to hide a knowing smirk.


	3. Jealousy

**Day 3 : Jealousy**

"Why.. did you have to buy... so much... stuff!"

Katara paused, turning to watch the grumbler. A deep, woven basket rested on her hip. "Quit whining!" she teased. "You're the one who ate most of the food, so it makes sense that you're the one who has to carry most of it back."

"Yeah," Zuko snorted, hefting the pack higher onto his back. "I'm also the one who has to pay for it." Katara pretended she couldn't hear him.

As they left the outskirts of the village, a small dog tumbled out of the bushes onto the path in front of them. "Oh, look! A puppy!" the basket forgotten, Katara raced to his side and scooped him up. "Look, Zuko, isn't he the sweetest little thing?" She tickled his tummy, and he licked her fingers, her hand, and then reached for her face.

Zuko rolled his eyes. "Yeah. Adorable," he huffed, his voice tinged with annoyance and... something else.

"Toboe! Toboe!" A small girl and a smaller boy raced up from the direction of the village. Katara's warm smiled made the children grin as well.

"Is he yours?" she asked kindly. They nodded shyly. She held him out, and he lept into the girl's arms, his tail wagging, and proceeded to cover her whole face with puppy kisses.

The two children laughed. "Thank you! Thank you so much!" They cried. The boy peeked up at Zuko who was scowling back at him. He turned away quickly, racing back down the road with his sister and the dog.

Katara watched them, her face glowing with an emotion Zuko remembered seeing long, long ago...

He grunted. "Let's go." He walked on quickly, and Katara hurried to catch up. She watched him from behind, thoughtful.

Before long, they came to a curve in the road. There was a large shade tree and a few rocks scattered under the branches, as if it was made for weary travelers. "Zuko, let's stop for lunch." Katara walked under the tree and sat gracefully on the highest rock. "You look beat," she added, motioning for him to join her.

Zuko stood in the blazing sun, panting. "I'm fine," he wheezed. "I don't need to take a break!"

Katara raised an eyebrow. Her shoulders shrugged. "Have it your way," she said, raising her arms as if she was a puppeteer.

Zuko's eyes widened. "Katara, no, don't, don't do it, please, Kat-" His body stiffened, his jaw snapping shut. Awkwardly, he walked towards Katara.

She grinned, her eyes glinting like a feral cat. She took the heavy pack off his shoulders, and pointed for him to sit.

"Do you want a melon?" she asked, then threw it to him. It bounced off his shoulder. "Oh, oops!" She waved her hand, and Zuko's body was his own again.

"How did you do that?" he exploded, jumping up. "It's not even a full moon! It's not even nighttime! Plus, we have to keep goi-"

She stuffed a peach in his mouth. "Less talking, more chewing," she commanded before digging into her own fruit. "Besides, the fruit was starting to spoil out in the sun."

They sat quietly for a few moments.

"Mrow!"

Katara, who now sat on the ground leaning against Zuko's rock, looked up at him. "Yes?" she asked.

He blinked, then scowled. "What, by the Great Dragons, makes you think that _I_ would say-"

"MROW!"

They both looked up. A small, thin, dust-colored cat sat on a branch in the middle of the tree. "Oh, no, Zuko! Look! She's stuck!" Katara lept to her feet. "Help me up," she ordered, her eyes still on the cat.

His scowl deepened. "I had no idea you were such a bleeding heart," he muttered, lacing his fingers together to make a step for her foot. As she stepped up, she flicked his forehead. She had heard him. She pushed up on his head, and put her other foot on his shoulder. Zuko's face was burning red as she clambered over him and swung up into the tree. "It's a good thing you're tall," she said. "Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to save her!"

Calling gently, she coaxed the cat into her arms. "Hey, Zuko! Can you catch?" She sat on the lowest branch - a few feet over his head - and let the cat fall into his outstretched arms.

Zuko bit back a cry as the cat's claws punctured his skin. It crawled up his arm, sat on his shoulder, and started cleaning itself.

"Aww, it looks just like a pirate bird!" Katara laughed, jumping lightly to the ground.

Zuko plucked the feline off his shoulder. "Dumb cat," he muttered.

She watched him with sharp, green eyes and gave his face a quick, rasping lick. Leaping to the ground, she padded over to Katara, who held out a piece of fish from the packs. "Here, sweetie," she called, her voice soft and kind.

Zuko watched her face as, once again, it turned gentle, her face glowing with... with love. It was as if she was completely unguarded, radiating her love to the stupid animal in front of her. Her eyes met his, and her smile was brighter than the sun. He looked away sharply, his cheeks pink again.

The cat licked up the morsel, and then licked Katara's fingers before springing away into the bushes. "I think she liked you." Katara stood and reached for the pack.

"Wait, what are you doing?" She looked at him.

"Well, it's not fair for you to have to carry this huge thing the whole time, so I thought-" Zuko swung his arms around the straps and hefted it onto his back in one fluid movement.

"Fine," she snapped, grabbing the basket. "Have it your way. But don't come crying to me it you pass out."

The rest of the day was filled with other incidents of Katara showing off her caring nature, from putting a flying fish back in a lake to pulling a thorn out of a bear's paw to helping a mother saber-toothed moose lion give birth to finding a lost baby turtle duck to healing a sick wild ostrich horse.

The sun was setting, turning the sky a magnificent bright orange and coloring the clouds and fluffy pink. They had almost reached the air temple, and Zuko was ready to go lay down. "Katara, I'm warning you," he growled, "if we have to stop to help anybody else I'll-"

The sound of a child crying in the distance. She looked at him for a second, her eyes pleading, before dropping the basket and racing after the cry.

"No, wait- Katara!" Zuko huffed, dropping the pack on the ground before plopping down next to it. _Here we go again..._ he thought, rubbing his temples. That woman was just too good for her own good.

The bushes across from him rustled, and Katara walked out slowly, carrying a teary young boy. "There, there," she cooed. "It's all right. You're safe. Nobody's going to hurt you here." The boy peeked at Zuko before burying his face in her shoulder. She looked down, her eyes worried, before turning to him. "He was just sitting out there in the brush," she explained. "Nobody was anywhere near him. I couldn't even pick up a trail or anything."

Zuko nodded as the boy whimpered into Katara's tunic. "Shhhh," she soothed, stroking his hair, her face and voice soft again. "Don't worry, he's not as mean as he looks."She glared at Zuko, who rolled his eyes and dug through the pack."Can you tell me where your family lives?" she coaxed. "Can you tell me where your mama and dada are?" Zuko saw the boy shake his head, his black hair bouncing. "Can you tell me anything at all?" He shook his head again. Katara nuzzled her forehead against his, grinning, and he copied her. He reached out, patting her face, and she played along. His giggling reminded him of Azula when she had just been born, still innocence and happy, playing games like this with his mother... _their_ mother.

"Here," he said, shoving the bread roll he had dug up between them. The boy looked at him for a few moments, then took the bread slowly. As he munched, he kept his dark eyes on Zuko.

"I think he likes you," Katara murmured.

_You've already told me that one_, he thought, scowling and turning away.

"What wrong?" she asked.

"We should be back by now," he said darkly. "We don't have time for you to stop and help every single thing we see on the side of the road!"

"Hey, I'm sorry, but the saber-tooth moose lion was kinda in the middle of the road-"

"That not the point!" he snapped, his face flushed. "You just have to stop and be friends with every cute little thing you find!"

Katara grinned, guessing this was about more than just their frequent stops on the way back. "You know, the first cute little thing I found just so happens to be the one that's going to save the world." Zuko's face got redder. "Besides, I can't help it! I'm a healer! I'm not going to let those that I can help suffer!"

"Tell that to the fire benders you've taken down," he muttered, but Katara was playing with that kid again.

She froze suddenly, one arm wrapped around the child that sat in the dirt in front of her. "Listen," she hissed. The boy continued to play with the rock he found. Zuko crept closer to them, straining to hear. He pulled the rock out of the kid's mouth. "It's a woman," she said, standing with the child in her arms. Walking cautiously, they stepped onto the path together.

The woman was a good 20 feet away, her back turned to them as she called out. The boy started to squirm, so Katara helped him stand. He took off towards the woman as fast a youngster still learning to walk could. He gave a loud cry, and his mother turned. She had his face shape, his hair, and his eyes. Her faced flashed from terror to pure joy as her son waddled up the road to her open arms. "Oh, thank heavens!" she cried, her dirty face streaked with tears as she bundled him up in her arms. "Oh, my love!" She kissed his head several times, and the boy gave happy giggles.

Katara and Zuko slipped back into the bushed, preferring to remain unnamed in the rescue of the small boy. They sat close to each other, shoulders almost brushing.

"So tell me, Zuko," Katara said. He looked down, only to find that she was practically on top of him. "This whole day, while I was helping out all of those woodland creatures," she purred. "And especially just now, with that little boy. Were you, maybe, just a little bit... jealous?" There was less than an inch of space between their faces now. Zuko chuckled.

"Only a little," he whispered just as their lips touched.

* * *

Zuko and Katara arrived back at the air temple early the next morning.

"Wow, you guys were gone a long time!" Aang greeted them, hopping up until he was almost on top of Katara. "What happened?"

They exchanged a look, Katara moving closer to Zuko. "Well, ah, we were... held up," she stammered.

Zuko snorted, getting into the act. "Yeah, quite a few times. Katara just couldn't' help herself from helping every injured living thing along the way."

Katara looked at him, one eyebrow raised. "I was even able to mend a bruised pride," she teased coldly.

"Wow, that sounds like a lot of fun!" Aang gushed, not noticed the intertwined hands of the pair.

"Yeah, I guess," Zuko scoffed, sounding like his old self.

Feet shuffled, and soon Zuko found himself soaked in the fountain. "Water benders," he grumbled. "Bleeding hearts one second, murderers the next."


	4. Cactus Juice

**A/N: Yeah, yeah, I know, my stories were getting longer and longer... until this one. It's half the length of my first one, and I thought that one was short! Well, I actually really liked this one, and I hope you will too! But the rest of the prompts will for sure be longer, I promise!**

* * *

**Day 4 : Cactus Juice**

"Hey hey... pass that over here!"

The boy took a deep gulp before shaking his head. "No way." He wobbled slightly. "As the oldest male here-"

"-only male here."

"- I take it upon myself to look after you. And I'm telling you, this is bad stuff!"

The girl he was addressing leaned in close, an inch separating her lips from his cheek. "You're sweet," she purred, her hand running up his leg.

His blush became a brighter red, his movements more sloppy and jarring. "Wh- wai- Kat-"

"Shhh." Her finger slipped over his lips, sealing them shut. "Don't speak." Her eyes fell to his lips, drawing closer, her hand sliding up his thigh, over his chest, down his arm-

"Gottit!"

She twirled away, the flask of juice held triumphantly in her hands. Zuko was still sitting on the ground, too stunned to react. She took a long, long drink before the flask dropped from her hands. "Zuko..." she breathed, her face acquiring the same faint flush as the fire bender before her.

"Yes," he gasped, still waiting for her kiss. His eyes looked up at her, pleading, but her gaze was fixed on something far off in the distance.

"Look," she gasped, pointing to the sky over Zuko's shoulder. He turned too quickly, and had to spend a few moments righting himself. What she was pointing to made his breath catch.

The sky, though still tinged orange from the rapidly-sinking sun, was glittering with millions and millions of stars. As the pair watched, the stars started to detach themselves from the sky to fly in dazzling streaks of lightning light. They flew, faster and faster, until they enveloped the two teens, dancing and twirling around their heads, through their hair, and through their legs. Katara giggled, waving her arms through the air as the stars danced between her fingers. She felt warm, secure, protected, and unbelievably happy. She gave a happy shout before joining the stars in their joyful dance. Zuko watched her, his heart swelling as he watched her lithe form float gracefully amongst the stars. He looked down at his own feet, and discovered that they were no longer on the ground, but in the sky with the stars. He reached out and let a cloud drift across his hand, a thin layer of dew left on his fingers.

"Come on, Zuko!" Katara had danced back to him, her eyes alight with a joyous fire, her face illuminated by her flashing smile. Grinning, he let her take his hands, and together they twirled through the night sky, a part of the dancing shooting stars that glittered and winked in the inky night sky...

"Uhh, Toph? What's wrong with them?"

The blind earth bender shrugged her shoulders. "Beats me. They've been like that for a few minutes."

Sokka shook his head. Why was his little sister spinning around with the Fire Prince? It was then he noticed the empty cactus gourd on the ground a few feet from the twirlers. Turning away from the two high teens, he slapped his forehead. They were in for a long morning the next day...


	5. Fireflies

**Day 5 : Fireflies**

The rain beat against the earth in a steady, calming staccato. Inside a tall, shallow cave, two teens and a flying bison took shelter. The girl bent water out of the soaked kindling, and the boy shot a small flame at the pile of sticks, igniting it. The bison gave a sleepy grunt before collapsing in a large furry heap on the stone floor.

"He looks beat," Zuko said, trying to break the silence. He looked at the girl across the fire from him. Katara sat curled up, shivering, her arms wrapped around her knees. Her eyes were dull and empty as she stared into the flames. Watching her made his heart ache. He knew what she was feeling; coming to terms with your hate was a long, painful process. At least she hadn't gotten a fever and seen her uncle and sister as dragons in a dream.

He slid around the fire until he sat on her right side. "Are you cold?" he asked. Nothing. A sense of helplessness overcame him. Why did he have to be so bad with people! Especially this Water Tribe girl! He was sure the Avatar would know exactly what to say to help her through this internal struggle! But Zuko, the Prince of the Fire Nation, was having a good day if all he got from her were some dirty glares and sharp comments.

"Why did she do it?" Katara's voice was hollow and hoarse. She still stared, unblinkingly, at the fire before them.

"Who?" Zuko encouraged. Talking was good.

"My mother." She blinked once. "Why would she give up her life for mine? I'm not worth dying for."

Zuko's jaw clenched. _Of course you are!_ he wanted to yell. But even he knew that would be a stupid response. "What do you mean you're not worth saving?" he asked instead.

She shifted. "I'm just not," she mumbled, pressing her mouth against her knee. "I haven't done anything that makes me my life worth protecting."

"Of course you have," he replied, his brow furrowing. "You taught the Avatar water bending-"

She shook her head. "That was Master Pakku. I almost prevented him from learning. Just because I was stubborn and stupid and because I didn't want Aang to be better than me." A slight smile appeared on her face. "I had to fight him just for him to teach both of us. Aang wouldn't learn if girls couldn't fight too."

Zuko blinked, amazed. It sounded like she had fought a Water Bending Master when she still knew next to nothing about how to bend her element. "Well, you learned, right?" He recalled their fight in the Spirit Oasis. _You little peasant. You found a master, didn't you?_ He shuddered as his words came back to haunt him. Yes, she had found one, and had had to fight just for the chance to learn.

"Yes. And then I lost to you, and almost lost Aang." He flinched. _You rise with the moon, I rise with the sun_. "And then there was the time with the pirates where you captured me." _I'll save you from the pirates_. "And when I was caught by Azula in Ba Sing Se." _I'm sorry. That's something we have in common._ Was he involved every single time she had been defeated or captured?

"None of that was your fault," he snapped, looking away. "It was always me."

"Not everything." He looked at her again. "It was Azula who caught us in Ba Sing Se. And you've... you've been trying to help us all now..." Sobs racked her throat. He knew it was all hitting her now; everything she had suppressed for almost her entire life was breaking free of the barriers she had built. He shifted closer, their arms barely touching. "But you." Her tone was harsher now, but tears still trickled down her face. "You... you saved me! When she attacked, you jumped and pushed me out of the way..." Her eyes were lost again, lost in the fire and in the depths of her mind. "Just like my mother. Everyone's always trying to protect me."

Zuko twisted his fingers in his lap. "I know how you feel," he breathed. "My mother, and then my uncle; always trying to keep me safe, keep me alive. I'm not worth it. Not at all."

Cold fingers brushed his scar. He thought it was the ghost of her fingers under Ba Sing Se. "Don't say that." He turned slightly, and saw that she was touching his scar, her eyes pleading and glittering with more tears. "You are worth it. Believe me." She froze, then looked out the cave. "The rain stopped."

Zuko turned to look. Sure enough, the sky was clear, the air cool, and the only water was dripping from the top lip outside the cave. He stood and walked to the edge of the cave arch. As the moon's faint light peered through the clouds, dozens of fireflies winked against the inky landscape.

A gasp by his right arm almost made him jump. "Zuko, what are those?" Katara gasped. Her hand reached for the dark shirt he still wore, gripping it so tight he was sure she was going to rip it.

He reached around with his left hand, covering her fingers. "It's just fireflies," he soothed. He supposed that they didn't have many bugs at the frozen poles.

"Fireflies." She said the word softly and slowly, as if she was savoring the sound of it rolling of her tongue. Giggling, she stepped out onto the squelching grass. She walked to the center of the clearing outside the cave. She laughed, throwing her arms out to her sides. Her head fell back as she began to spin, faster and faster, until Zuko was sure she was trying to fly away. He smirked, watching her as she spun, carefree, amongst the twinkling lights of the little fireflies. Katara gave a cry as she collapsed in a heap on the ground, her chest heaving.

Zuko walked as if he was under a spell to her side. She was watching the stars that shone high above their heads. Zuko fell to the ground next to her, his eyes unable to leave her face. A smile that could have out-shined the sun was plastered to her face. "I've let it all go," she whispered, not quite talking to him. "Everything. That man is nothing, not even worth killing. Him dying would be a welcomed blessing to him, so I won't be the one to give him that pleasure. My mother died to save me, so I just have to make my life worth protecting. I have to make her proud of me when she watches me from the heavens." Zuko was stunned. How could she let it all go so easily? He had had to fight with himself to reject his hate and contempt for the world. Only a person who was truly good at heart could vanish those ugly thoughts from their heart so quickly.

As he studied her face, a small part of his heart seemed to click together. A piece that he had not wanted to realized existed in him. A piece that she had shown him, once, and that she had helped put back just now. A piece he himself had carved out the day he had been banished. "Katara," he breathed. She tore her eyes away from the heavens to met his gaze. Her glowing, dark blue eyes captivated him. He had always been under her spell when he looked at those eyes, even when he had first seen her at the South Pole. His vision became blurred. "I am... I am so sorry." His voice was rough. "For everything. For making you come here, for being the monster that hunted you, for losing your trust-"

"Shh!" She sat up, one arm stretched across his chest and resting on the grass between his arm and side. Her other hand was covering his mouth. "Don't." She smiled. "I've forgiven everything that you've done. You've helped me more than you will ever know."

He took a deep breath. "But do you forgive _me_?" he asked. "Do you forgive the stupid, short-tempered, imperfect, scarred man beneath you?"

She smiled, her face kind and soft. "No," she said, her voice gentle. She leaned closer until her eyes were drowning him. "I _love_ the man beneath me," she breathed. "Which makes up for everything he has ever done, and which means that I am unable to stay mad at him or hold grudges against him, no matter what stupid things he has done or will do."

He blinked, floored. "Katara, I-"

"I told you, shush," she purred as her lips brushed his. His mouth was too occupied for the rest of the night to even try to speak again. As they lay in the grass, lost in the beauty of each other, the fireflies danced around their heads, their blinking lights more romantic than any candle could be.


	6. Rhythm

**Day 6 : Rhythm**

Katara was washing in the girl's hallway when the drums started.

A gentle, steady pulsing raced through her veins as her heart sped up. What now? She moaned inwardly, whisking every drop of water from her body. She let her hair stay wet; it was more manageable that way. Throwing on her under wrappings and her tunic, she let the beat of the drums lead her racing feet to the main room with the sky bison mosaics and large fountain. Good. She could use the water to-

"Wow! That was amazing!" Aang cried. "Could you teach me?"

Katara skidded around the last corner. "What's all that racket?" Toph shouted, running up the hall next to Katara's. "I can't see anything because of those stupid drums!"

Katara glared at the boys sitting in a small circle by the fountain. "I'm sure there's a perfectly good explanation," she said, her eyes cold. Crossing her arms, she noticed the two ancient drums that were on the ground in front of the tallest boy.

"Katara! Toph! You guys did come!"

Zuko and Sokka looked up at Aang's cry. Katara could feel Zuko's gaze raking her up and down. "Nice hair," he called. She used a thin stream of water from the fountain behind him to flick his head.

Sokka beckoned them over. "Zuko here was just showing us how the Fire Nation bangs the drums," he explained as the girls sat, waggling his eyebrows at his sister.

"It's amazing!" Aang gushed. He was practically bouncing with enthusiasm. "He beats them so hard and fast and he's so good at it! He must've had a lot of practice! I wish I was that good!"

Katara felt the heat rising in her cheeks. Risking a glance at Zuko, she saw that he was blushing, too. At least somebody else had picked up on the double meaning.

"Well, I, for one, hate drums," Toph grumbled. "They mess with my seeing."

Zuko looked at the earth bender in surprise. "I didn't even think about that," he said. "Sorry, Toph. I'll put them away if you want."

She shook her head. "No no, I wouldn't want you to go through the trouble of putting those big, heavy drums away after you brought them all the way out here. Especially for little old me!" Her voice oozed sarcasm. "I'll just go sleep in Appa's fur. Maybe that will kill some of the vibrations." She shuffled over to the big sleeping fur ball and buried herself in his tail. "'Night!" she yelled before she rolled over to finish her nap.

"Zuko, could you teach me? Could you? Would you? Could you?" Aang was bouncing around, itching to get his hands on one of the drum sticks.

Zuko pulled him down. "Not if you keep flying around, I can't." Aang immediately adopted a calm meditation pose. "Good. Now, the first thing you have to remember is that this is not a toy." He waved the drumstick dangerously in front of Aang's nose. The youngster went cross-eyed trying to follow it. "This is a part of our ancient history. The drums have been used in the most prestigious ceremonies of the royal family for hundreds and thousands of years. It's apart of our rituals. Treat it as such." He held the drumstick out to Aang.

The Avatar held it sheepishly between his thumb and forefinger. "Umm, I don't think I want to learn anymore." Apparently Zuko's speech had been too heavy for him to handle.

"Do you mind teaching me, Zuko?" Katara asked innocently.

He blinked in surprise. "Uh, sure." She moved to sit right next to him, her face that of an eager and naïve student. "Um, well, here's the drumstick. You hold it like this and just..." He rapped it against the taunt leather, three beats vibrating up her legs.

"RARW!!" Toph roared from Appa. She crawled onto his back, pulling his fur around her. "Okay, continue!" Appa bellowed in agreement.

"Good idea," Katara muttered before turning back to the drum before her. "So, you mean, like this?" She copied the same sequence he had just done.

Zuko nodded, swallowing deeply. "Yeah, just like that. Now, if you want to add more beats, you can. The trick is to try to always have a base rhythm."

What he had said made no sense, but she nodded anyway. "Okay, I think I want to try that now." She faced the drum, screwing her eyebrows together to make it look like she was concentrating. Timidly, she tapped the drumstick on the drum. She risked a glance at Sokka, who just rolled his eyes, grinning, she played the sequence she'd wanted to play the whole time.

_Bom. Bom. Bombombom. Bombom. Bom. Bom._

Sokka smirked. He knew that sequence: powerful fire bender near, be alert.

Back at the poles, the tribes had used drum messages for communication, not just noise during a ceremony. They had even constructed a whole code to keep the people of the villages safe. Of course, nobody in the whole Fire Nation had any idea that this was the real reason behind the drums of the Water Tribes, which meant Zuko was part of this clueless crowd.

"Okay, that was pretty good," Zuko praised. "Now let's-"

"But I wasn't done yet!" Katara whined. Zuko blinked, but nodded for her to continue. "Um, could I try using two?" she asked shyly. He handed the other drumstick to her, and she flashed him one of her brightest smiles.

With two drumsticks, she took off. Firing off every single drum code she could remember, she had the whole air temple vibrating and echoing the deep beating of her drums. Once she had finished the drum codes, she felt a rhythm in her pulse and played a series of beats to that for a few minutes. When she was finally done, she peeked at Zuko.

His jaw was on the floor. "H- How- How did- did yo-"

"Oh, my dear Zuzu," she purred, leaning into him, her breath on his neck. "I will always bang better than you."

As she walked away to start dinner, she had to avoid Sokka, who was rolling around on the floor, laughing so hard that he was crying. His guffaws died out a few moments.

Toph's head popped up from her fuzzy perch. "Damn, Sparky, she topped you again?"

Zuko stormed away, his face beet red. Aang sat, not really understand what was so funny. Sokka's hysterical laughter started up again as he rolled across the floor. Katara walked away with a smug smirk.

She knew who's rhythm they would be 'dancing' to that night.


	7. Lick

The thick, rough rope was starting to rub the skin on Katara's wrists raw. The bark from the tree was also digging into her back; she could feel the small dos of blood forming from the branch stubs that stabbed her. She blinked, trying to focus on the chuckling men in the moonless night.

"Well, well, well. Look at what we've got here."

That voice. That rough, rasping, dangerous voice. "_I'll save you from the pirates."_ How had he managed to find her? "Zuko," she snarled. "What do you want now?" She was glad that her voice didn't sound as scared as she felt. Silently, she prayed that Aang and her brother would remain asleep and hidden while wishing they could somehow save her.

"You know what I want," he purred, walking closer.

"You're not very creative. Maybe you should try changing it up every once in while. You could have the Avatar chase you halfway across the world."

She heard an older man guffaw at her teasing. "Prince Zuko, she has a point," he said through his laughter. She could tell that he was a man she could get along with, if he wasn't traveling with the Prince of the Fire Nation.

"Shut up!" he snapped, flames flashing from his mouth. When he turned back to her, his face was serene and almost gentle-looking. All except for the angry red scar and his burning amber eyes. "Tell me where he is and I won't hurt you or your brother." He was trying a different approach; suave and smooth. Too bad it didn't fit him at all.

"Go jump in river!" she ordered. She saw a dangerous flash in his eyes, and hoped she hadn't overstepped the invisible boundary that contain his out-of-control anger.

"Try to understand, I need to capture to restore something I've lost." He walked behind her, his voice calm and reasoning. "My honor." He was on her other side, behind the tree, She didn't like that she couldn't see his face. "Perhaps in exchange I can restore something you've lost." His breath was hot and heavy in her ear. She saw a quick flash of dark blue in front of her eyes.

"My mother's necklace!" As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she felt something caress her ear. She pushed that away for the moment. "How did you get that?" Zuko sauntered away again, a smug grin on his face. She realized that it had been _his tongue_ on her ear! He had licked her!

And without understanding why, it both excited and pleased her, sending a slight shiver down her back. "I didn't _steal_ it, if that's what you're wondering." The way he curved his eyebrow suggested that he was thinking of something else he had stolen. "Tell me where he is."

"No!" She struggled against her bonds. She wanted to slap that satisfied look off his face. How dare he _lick_ her ear and then brag about it in front of a band of pirates _and_ his crew!

The pirate captain she had robbed earlier spoke up, demanded the water bending scroll she had been using. Zuko dangled it over a flame in his palm, causing her and the pirates to gasp in horror. How dare he try to destroy her one way of learning about the culture _his_ nation had wiped out! "Search the woods for the boy and meet back here," he ordered, extinguishing the flame.

The captain gave in. "Fine." He and his crew vanished into the trees. Katara twisted her head to watch them go. Her eyes widened in horror; the smoke from their campfire was snaking up above the canopy! She turned back to the company of fire benders that she was now alone with.

"I want two men at a time on hourly watches until they return," Zuko was ordering, his back to her. "You and you-" he called out two of the anonymous masked men- "are on first watch. The rest of you: get some sleep, but stay alert."

The lucky men saluted before running onto the ship, eager for some shut-eye. The two on watch looked at each other for an instant before walking up to their leader. "Umm, sir? What about her?" The taller one gestured over his shoulder at the blue-clad prisoner, who scowled as the prince's eyes locked with hers.

He shrugged. "Leave her tied up for all I care. I need to organize the watches." With a satisfied glance in her direction, he strutted up the ramp and began shouting out orders to his tired crew.

"Someday he will learn." Katara looked at the old man, who was shaking his head sadly. "I assure you, he did have manners once," he told her, a small smile on his face, "but all this time at sea has caused him to grow out of the practice." He walked up to her before bowing. "My name is Iroh. I am Prince Zuko's adviser." He grinned. "And his uncle!" He walked behind her, and she heard a knife being unsheathed. The pressure from the rope grew slack, and she stumbled forward.

She rubbed her wrists and looked at the older man in surprise. "Won't the prince-"

"The prince does not always think straight," he interrupted, waving away whatever she was going to say with the flick of his hand. "No young lady should be tied to a tree, especially one a pretty as yourself."

Katara smiled at him. "Your sweet. But aren't you afraid that I'll escape?"

He laughed. "Where could you go that we could not catch you? There are pirates all over the woods, and three master fire benders! Do you think you can get away?"

She gave him her sweetest, deadliest smile. "Have you forgotten that I am the last water bender from the Southern Tribe? We're right next to a river."

"You don't have a chance."

Katara whirled around, pinning her icy stare on the haughty prince leaning against the side of his ship. "Excuse me?"

"I said you don't stand a chance against us." He jumped, landing lightly on the grass. "You obviously have no training. You can't even form a water whip."

Katara knew she was no where near the level of master. It had taken her months to be able to pick up that fish in the sphere of water. An accident and a fight with Sokka had given her the power to break Aang out of the iceberg. And then she'd watched Aang learn everything she'd struggled to teach herself for a lifetime in a matter of minutes. Somehow, hearing the enemy who had just _licked her ear_ belittle her bending abilities made something inside her click.

She flew at him, reaching for the water behind him. He sidestepped easily, letting her splash into the shallows. Spinning, she threw the water that was on her hand at him, freezing it as it flew towards his face. He flicked it away with a small arc of fire before kicking two flames at her. She dodged, used to this trick of his. She ran at him, freezing the water on her other hand as she tried to claw his face. He grabbed her wrists, but she was on top of him as they hit the ground. Before he could throw her off, her tongue snaked out and traced a line from his collarbone to the base of his left ear. She was satisfied to feel the shiver that coursed through his body and see the wild, stunned light in his eyes. "Payback," she whispered, her chin resting on his chest. Her smug grin produced a scowl and a bright blush from her captor. Her rolled her over, pinning down her arms and legs.

"Nice. Very nice." They stared each other down for a few moments before he yanked her to her feet. "Tie her up again!" he barked, thrusting her at the stunned guards. He turned to his uncle. "And no more untying the prisoner!" he ordered, pointing an accusatory finger at his uncle, who was feigning a look of innocence. He stormed back to his ship, giving her one quick glance over his shoulder before disappearing below deck. His uncle gave her a polite bow before following his angry nephew.

As they retied her to the tree, Katara couldn't help but smile to herself. She had bested the Fire Prince at his own game. She was sure that she could do it again.


End file.
